The 127th Hunger Games
The 127th Hunger Games Wouldn't it be wonderful to watch someone fall in love? Yes. Wouldn't it be even better to have the thing they love torn away from them cruelly? Absolutely. The Hunger Games are back, darling, and better than ever. Science has taken leaps and bounds, though the population has dwindled due to the... experiments. Oh well! You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. In this case, more than eggs will be broken. Hiya! I'm Toast/Toast With The Most and I have never finished a Hunger Games before. Oops. I may just be motivated enough to complete this one, so, I'd be very happy if you joined. Without further ado, The Rules * PLEASE give me feedback. This isn't a rule, I just really need to know what you think of my writing c: * Stay active. Send advice! The victor(s) will be chosen based on quality, not through a random generator. However, if your tribute loses, this doesn't always mean they were the worst in terms of quality, it just means somebody had to die. *shrug* * Going off of what I said above, if your tribute dies, don't be immature. Secretly hate me from afar, but if you whine in the comments, I will have some cruel "fun" with your remaining tributes. * Four two tributes per user. * Make sure you address every category on the Tribute Template. If your tribute is missing something like a backstory, they won't be accepted. * This contains a very small amount of cursing, but nothing too wild, unless I feel it really fits the tribute/the situation. * Reservations last for 24 hours. Template Name: District: Gender: Age: Weapon: (One or two) Strength: (Besides weapon, two) Weaknesses: (Atleast two) Fears: (Atleast one) Appearance (Lunaii required, RL picture optional): Height: Personality: Backstory (mega important): Alliance preferences (Career, Anti-Career, Loner, Private Alliance): Spirit Animal (this is something new, but very important. What animal reflects your tribute's personality? This ties in with my twist. Muahaha) Tributes Tribute Gallery Avatar (1).png|''Aleksandr Estrene, Capitol'' Eliza Ryder.png|Elizabeth Ryder, Capitol EugeneWLunaii.png|''Eugene Watson, District One'' Trinalunaii.png|''Trina Maesin, District One'' Timothy lunaii.png|''Timothy Banner, District Three'' Flo Marioneta.png|''Florence Marioneta, District Three'' MantaLi.png|''Manta Li, District Four'' Genevieve azarling.png|''Genevieve Azarling, District Four'' PerryL.png|''Perry Blitz, District Five'' Anne Bellhope Lunaii.png|''Anne Bellhope, District Five'' Caliban lunaii.png|''Caliban Rweed, District Six'' Corin Greer d5.png|''Corin Greer, District Six'' Limber Woods.png|''Limber Dogwood, District Seven'' Dawn Pyres.png|''Dawn Pyres, District Seven'' BraxLunaii.png|''Brax Beales, District Eight'' FelicityCaspian.png|Felicity Caspien, District Eight Cliffe Holden.png|''Cliffe Holden, District Nine'' Clara lunaii.png|''Clara Willows, District Nine'' Avan Falco.png|''Avan Falco, District Ten'' Transparentchar.png|''Daneriris Montreist, District Ten'' Banana.png|''Ray Xeres, District Eleven'' Taligelia Lunaii.png|''Taligelia Rendervault, District Eleven'' TorinL.png|''Torin Fowlere, District Twelve'' Arissa Stone Lunaii.png|Arissa Stone, District Twelve CauterDLunaii.png|''Cauter Dumont, District Thirteen'' HeavenLunaii.png|''Heaven Burke, District Thirteen'' Death Chart Alliances I will be making some assumptions as far as alliances go. If you would like a switch, just tell me in the comments! Careers Eugene Watson (D1), Tate Lockewood (D2), Brax Beales (D8), Genevieve Azarling (D4), Manta Li (D4), Aleksandr Estrene ©, Daneiris Montreist (D10) Anti-Careers Timothy Banner (D3), Clara Willows (D9), Limber Dogwood (D7), Ray Xerxes (D11), Arissa Stone (D12), Elizabeth Ryder ©, Anne Bellhope (D5) Private Alliances Trina Maesin (D1) and Phobe Mascilla (D2) Felicity Caspian (D8), Dawn Pyres (D7) Corin Greer (D6), Cliffe Holden (D9) Cauter Dumont (D13), Heaven Burke (D13) Loners Torin Fowlere (D12), Caliban Rweed (D6), Avan Falco (D10), Taligelia Rendervault (D11), Arissa Stone (D12), Perry Blitz (D5), Florence Marioneta (D3) Arena The Cornucopia sits proudly in the middle of the rectangular arena. It is adorned with peacock feathers, clumps of fur from unknown creatures, and bloody mouse tails and elephant ears. The arena splits into different biomes, each with an unpleasant twist. There's an aquatic, sea-like area with strips of muddy land saturated with water. The water levels fluctuate, but could rise dangerously high. Next is the desert, which is a hot, sandy stretch of land with little resources and flash sandstroms. Directly north of the Cornucopia is the forest, which is like your typical wooded hideaway. However, the forest's layout will change daily, resources seeming to always escape you. The grasslands lie south of the forest. Tall, dry patches of grass and the occasional tree dot this small portion of the arena. It is the most unassuming, but fierce muttations hideaway there at night. Finally, we have the tundra/taiga. It's the coldest biome, and at unpredictable times in the day, a flashfreeze works its way through the biome, causing tributes to die instantly. Reapings Capitol (Elizabeth Ryder) I am a fucking badass. I'm sorry, but I need some confidence right now. Wouldn't you after one of the few people you dared to trust stabbed you right in the back? Or should I say shot. With a goddamn dart. But I couldn't think of that right now. In all honesty, I could barely think at all, except for the throbbing part of my brain screaming at me to remember something. It was raining. I knew that. I also knew there was this voice, but I'm not sure if I made it up or actually heard it. If Mr. Voice was real, I was currently hiding in his trailer. I'd run into, dripping wet, hiding from someone. Isn't that ironic? Me, the girl who is the Scooby-Doo of the Capitol when it comes to foiling crimes, literally committing one as we speak. Breaking and entering, huh? If only my parents could see me now. What had the voice said? It was something important. It was... it was about the Reapings. There were today. I swear I must be crazy, because I felt myself drown in this sick sort of relief. I could escape, at least for now, from my former friend and would-be murderer. I didn't pay attention to the newly paved golden roads leading to the reaping stage. I didn't look at the escort's "new dress" which looked more like a thousand dying foxes stapled to her body instead of a dress. I just ran into the square and volunteered before the ditzy escort could get a word out of her overly plump lips. "Eliza... I mean Elizabeth Ryder. You can call me Eliza," I sputtered as soon as I was pulled up to the stage. There was another moment of happiness, and relief. I took in the new, clean and modern design of the Capitol's square, idly rating it a 5/10. How could've I how have been so careless? Why didn't I relish in my last moments of freedom, of ignorance, until my entire mind was shattered by a single sentence? "Oh dear- did somebody volunteer to escape me?" I knew who it was. Intell. I didn't even have to speak, because somehow, it seemed like he read my mind. "Wonder how I got in here? Hmm. It was so fun stuffing that microchip deep into your brain while you were knocked out. Now, Eliza, you realize how much power over you? I can kill you. I can control everyone around you. The Gamemakers will target you with mutts and traps, as will the tributes, because I'll make sure your training score is a 12. Too bad I can't do it myself. It'll also be a pain to wait, but I can stomach it." "Where are you?' I hissed, my wild eyes shifting around the square. I was vaguely aware of determined footsteps besides me, and I caught the sight of a wisp of white hair. He was staring at me. Judging me. "In the one place where you can never escape me. Your head," Intell. I can't believe I took him under my wing. The memories of him, and the twins, and Raucous... all obscured now by his betrayal. Timed perfectly after my mental monologue, Intell laughed maniacally. It wasn't the funny, TV-super villain laugh. It was a spine-chilling chuckle that literally made me want to barf. It echoed in my mind before finally dissipating. And still, I knew that I couldn't let him get to me. I knew that I shouldn't listen to him. And the more he talked to me, the more sweet it would be to achieve justice. So, I started to smile. Maybe even grin. I am a fucking badass, need I remind you. District Three (Timothy Banner) What do you think about when you wake up in the morning? I think that says a lot about a person. I think about red, mostly. Red is the color of anger, and of blood. Then, I shake the thought from my head. I couldn't get angry today, of all days. Today was Reaping Day. I never really had an issue with the Hunger Games. Technically, we were an overpopulated union, but I believe a giant death match doesn't really solve all our problems. I never really had an issue with the Hunger Games. Had. If I had to describe myself in two words, they'd by angry and scared. Always. The Hunger Games is the breeding ground for fear and anger, and I was only getting more angry and more scared, so today may be a dangerous day for me. I couldn't hear the buzz of District Three citizens, though that could've been because they were avoiding me. I'm not a psychopath. I just... I can't control myself. I killed a lot of people. I didn't want to. It's as simple as that, and don't let anyone else tell you differently. They don't understand. They'll never understand. My blood was pumping and I could feel it heating up as if I'd flicked a switch on a stove. I was positive that my face was flushed and red. This is how it began; I knew that any second, I'd turn into a bigger monster than usual. I threw something. It cracked against my wall, and I decided I felt good enough to go to the Reapings. I knew my Dad would've wanted to say goodbye to me before I went, but I couldn't face him in this state. The path to the the town square felt familiar under my feet. I silently regarded the new design of the District Three square. Two large spotlights, one white and one gold, were pointed to the middle of a giant black stage. There was a giant screen behind the two spotlights, which resembled a 3D forest scene. The most spectacular part of the Reapings were the incredible holographic animals. Bunnies appeared and hopped around stage before dissolving into thin air. Lions hung near the center of the stage, large paws hanging over the edge. I could almost here them roaring. "So happy to welcome you all to the 127th Games!" Our escort wore a plain white suit, but images were being bounced off it every two seconds. It was quite distracting, really, and I could feel myself heating up again. Luckily, there was a distraction that caught my eye. "Ladies first, of course. Florence Marioneta!" The escort announced. I expected the typical nerdy chick. I mean, what kind of name is Florence? I was completely wrong. The "girl" who staggered up to the stage was more like a broken doll. She had a strange, puppet like way of moving and no expression whatsoever. Looking more closely, I realised her second eye was completely missing, a gaping black hole and dried blood replacing it. Our escort looked beyond disturbed, and a third spotlight that was previously hidden opened itself up to the girl, who shielded her face. "Um... next. Timothy Banner," he hastily announced. It took me a moment to register that Timothy Banner was me. I didn't watch the reactions of my fellow district members, probably all cheering to themselves. Instead of getting angry, I felt this temporary calm. I think it was because I saw my dad's face. He looked so sad, heartbroken even, and I knew that this was good. It meant he loved me. And now, my loved ones would be safe from me, because I was entering the only place killing was appreciated. District Seven (Dawn Pyres) "Cliffe!" I am alive. I have more bruises than friends, no strength and a murder on my permanent record, but I am alive. The sad thing, though, is I'm not sure how happy that makes me. Maybe I'm dead. Maybe I've been converted to some badass ghost with no purpose other than to scare people. That would be cool enough. But, as much as I'm trying not to think about it, becoming a ghost is the last thing on my mind. I'm thinking of Alice, my best friend. I'm thinking of Alice, the victim of my moment of anger. I'm thinking of the girl who I killed. I couldn't move a muscle without feeling a sharp shooting of pain. It was followed by waves and waves of soreness, and yet, I just wished that I could get up. I'm laid at the base of a cliff, the cliff that used to be so sacred and happy, almost kissing death. But that, while only a few months ago, seemed to hard to think about. Every time I remembered the woosh of air beneath me, or the cracking of my own bones, or my gurgled, screaming words.... I felt more pain than any injury I'd ever received. Betrayal hurts, darling, almost as much as being pushed off a cliff. And now I was ready to re-enter society. Today was a special day for Dawn Pyres, and what better way to start something than with a wholesome breakfast? I moved quickly, knowing that the base of the cliff held mostly nocturnal creatures. I had to hunt at, well, Dawn. Note, I didn't have experience in hunting, but I did know how good a fresh slab of elk meat could taste. Or deer. Food was scarce, and I knew I couldn't stay in my cliff much longer. It's funny how foreign "my" cliff sounded to me. I'd always say "our" cliff. Alice, Cliffe, and I. I shook my head, clearing the thoughts away as I felt fear taunt me. It was time to eat, whether I had to force down a rock or a rabbit. There was one clearing I always went to when looking for more gamey meat. Usually, I had to wait a while before finding anything edible, but today, there was an honest-to-God elk right there in front of me. I looked closer, realizing it was more a gazelle than elk. The creature stood still, almost purposefully ignoring me. I took another step forward, cringing at the crunch the rocks made underneath my feet. In the dawn's early light, I finally figured out this was an antelope. It had a thin, petite tan body with a bright white underbelly and strips of white, tan and black on its face. This was the only beautiful, innocent thing I had seen in a while. Still, I grabbed a rock and headed closer to the antelope. It saw me, I knew, since it tilted its head downwards, showing off its horns. I charged then, knowing I'd never be able to kill it if I were to prolong the process anymore. Then, I saw this horrible fear in its eyes, and I dropped the rock right before it could crash into the antelope's skull. I fell down and cried. It was a shuddering, breathless cry that came from seemingly nowhere. And, the antelope came closer still until it was resting its furry head on my shoulder. Pushing me up with its nuzzle, the antelope had already regained all confidence. It then forced me onto its back. Yes, I was literally riding on an antelope. I don't know how it happened, really, but it laid down and shimmied under me until I found myself gripping the horns of my new friend. And as soon as I felt secure, she took off, leaping unto ledge after ledge as I struggled to keep my grip. It was the best feeling in the world to be on an antelope's scratchy, furry back. Minutes later, my antelope came to an abrupt stop. I looked around slowly, a slap of fresh air forcing me to come to terms with the fact that I was back. I had escaped from the cliff. I grabbed the antelope's neck protectively, but she shook me off. Gracefully bowing, the antelope dipped her head and soared off the edge of the cliff, disappearing as quickly as she'd come. My feet started working, without my consent. The path I took was all too familiar and ended up in the town square, just in time to hear my escort end her speech. Pushing past Peacekeepers, I screamed with the power of someone stronger than me. "I volunteer!" Gasps ensued, and I felt the need to clarify I wasn't dead. Really, the only thing I was thinking about right now was my antelope. I'd just escaped from a cliff, ridden on an antelope, and volunteered for the Hunger Games. I guess I was back to real life now, and I'd entered with a bang. District Twelve (Torin Fowlere) I thought I'd done it! I'd finally literally just run away from all my problems. And when I came back, everything would be okay. If only you could cure every disease in the world just by running from the people that have it. Spoiler alert; you can't. I remembered running off, exploring District 12, trying to earn a little extra money for my sick family. Except, I mostly ran away for myself, not for them. And do you know what finally brought me home, to an empty house? A jackrabbit. I'd never seen one before, which is shocking, considering all the stuff on the Black Market these days. Maybe I'd eaten the remains of one and hadn't known it. In any case, the rabbit seemed less jumpy than a standard rabbit, and I thought maybe I could strangle in, skin it, and sell the meat. However, when I dived to the ground for that thing, it quickly jumped to the side. There may've been a slightly amused twinkle in the rabbit's dark eyes, but I hadn't eaten in a few days, so what did I know. It waited for me, silently beckoning me to follow it. I didn't know why I felt compelled to chase after that big-eared menace, but at least he kept at a fair pace for me. And, before I knew it, I was back at my old house. It had a giant "sold" sign in the front of it, and I knew that my family was either dead or had moved on without me. I didn't smell the puke, or hear the coughing and screaming that always emitted from our old shack. "It's my fault, isn't it?" I whispered softly. The jackrabbit dipped his head slightly, solemnly agreeing with me. "Get off my property!" A scratchy voice yelled at me. I looked up from the ground to see a dirty old man waving his old cane at me. "You bought this place?" I asked, feeling the weight of what I'd done slowly crush me. "Yeah, what's it to ya? Reaping Day's my favorite day, cause you confounded kids ain't here to mess with me. You don't look 18, so go get to the square before I have 80 Peacekeepers beat ya!" The old man laughed raspily before having a coughing fit. The jackrabbit looked at him straight in the eye, and he seemed a bit unnerved, but before the senile guy could give another threat, my rabbit was pouncing off in the direction of the square. I had nobody else. I felt like I was drowning, with air right above my head that couldn't be reached. The Peacekeepers roughly shuffled me into a group of boys my age, but I sunk to the back. The jackrabbit was already there, predicting my every move. "Arissa Stone," our escort announced, no emotion evident. If I had a heart that worked, I would've felt extreme pity for the young girl pushed up to the stage. She bit her lip, and I knew she couldn't have been more than twelve. My jackrabbit suddenly rubbed up against my leg, and sprinted away into the forest. Talk about feeling deserted; first my whole family dies, and now my rabbit ditches me? "Torin Fowlere," our escort spoke again, not wasting any time. It took me a second, but I realized it was my name. I vainly looked around, wondering if anyone would volunteer for me. They didn't. As I walked up to the stage slowly, each step heavier, I saw my jackrabbit watching me with wide, knowing eyes. I knew I deserved this. I knew I would join my family as a nameless grave. The Games Day One Tate Lockwood (District Two) I've never studied a clock before. Never really paid attention to its ticking hands, or perfect, synchronized timing. But, even if I was unfamiliar with the subject, I knew what I was witnessing was as planned and precise as clockwork. One by one, podiums shot up, going in order of the Districts. I drank in my surroundings, trying to ignore my pounding heart. All the tribute's faces looked like Harley at first glance. In a sick way, I wish they stayed like that longer. For my own selfish needs. I needed to see my flame's face again, and I needed to know she was ok. I needed to know how our baby was doing, and I- My thoughts were interrupted as the countdown began. Just to draw things out, it was going to be a minute longer than usual. But I was already thinking about Harley again. I couldn't get my mind off her; or at least, not until the biomes started forming. As if on their own accord, podiums started to clump together in groups of about three or more tributes. Dark lines colored the ground until eight equal slices of land were formed, three or more tributes trapped in each. The land started to shift from a neutral, grassy forest to something completely different. At the center of it all was a giant golden cage, looking like something straight out of a deranged zoo. It seemed to play the role of the Cornucopia, but there were more than supplies in it. Slowly, animals materialised in the cage. It grew larger with the addition of each new animal. There were fish and dolphins, swimming in air as well as if it were water. I could see the glimmering feathers of a peacock against the golden torso of a lion. There was even a silvery, shining unicorn in the center of the cage, for God's sake. As soon as it had appeared, the cage bars disappeared. Without pausing for a moment, the animals all fled, their pounding steps and squawks in tune with the booming countdown. While at first everything had seemed like chaos, I soon realized each animal had a distinct path towards specific tributes. And, right in front of me was a snarling timber wolf. I would've fallen off the podium from shock if I hadn't seen the whole thing happen. Once the animals were in their places, the slices of land started to change. Entire landscapes were built in seconds, each with a distinctly different climate. It took me a second to register I was freezing cold, and as I peered over my shoulder, I saw the trees that had recently inhabited the space behind me melt into snow. Bony, leafless trees rose from the ground in there place, and a heavy snow started to fall. In stark contrast was the region directly south of mine. Its trees had sunk into the ground as tumbleweeds, and the dirt had spun itself into sand. I saw one red-haired tribute wincing in pain as the sand smacked itself against her and her coyote. Looking around, it didn't take me long to figure out the tributes were in biomes suiting their animal's natural habitat. I scowled down at my timber wolf, but he bared his teeth, mocking my weakness to the cold. What the hell was this all about? Sure, I'd been in and out of Districts, but I'd never been to a place as cold as the winter wonderland that I was trapped in. How was I supposed to survive? Searching frantically for other Careers with better luck than I, I noticed the notorious Geno Watson, grinning as a giant Indian peacock fanned him with its wings. He was in the only truly familiar biome to me; the forest. I saw many other Careers staring at Geno, all probably planning to join him in the forest. I wanted to yell at them that I should've been the leader, but I couldn't reveal any strategy, and my voice probably wouldn't have made it over the loud countdown... Which has just reached ten seconds. Genevieve Azarling (District Four) “I want you to make a choice. There’s a slow-acting poison coursing through your system, which only I have the antidote for. Will you murder a mother and her child to save yourself? Listen carefully, if you will. There are rules. Let the game begin.” — Jigsaw Let the game begin. That's one of my favorite quotes from the movie Saw. ''I know what I would do if Jigsaw asked me that, and I think you can guess it would involve sticking a dagger right through the soft neck of a child. I could almost feel the hilt of the dagger in my hands, and imagine the perfect sound it would make slicing through skin. And soon, I'd be doing the killing I craved. It was too bad I didn't get a pay this time, but I suppose the satisfaction of a gruesome death would be enough. Peering down below me, I realized I was stuck in some type of forest, right next to the cocky Geno Watson. While his peacock seemed to have caught the eyes of the other useless tributes, I was paying more attention to my animal. Coiled around my pedestal was a lime green viper snake. It hissed lowly and impatiently, waiting for the gong to sound. And, in exactly one second, it would get its wish. I looked up at the Countdown, raising an eyebrow. In the span of five seconds, the giant golden cage that had held all the animals had morphed into a more traditional Cornucopia shape, full of gleaming golden weapons with pearly-white hilts. Suddenly, a loud banging noise interrupted my thoughts as it forced its way into my head. The gong announced what I already knew. The Games had begun. Right as my foot touched the ground, my viper curled around it, functioning as a venomous anklet. I was running faster and faster as it slithered up and down my leg. The other Careers had all made a beeline for the Cornucopia, and while some tributes had scurried off into their respective biome, most tributes clearly thought they were going to be able to grab supplies with ease. As a Career and a killer, I was going to try an prevent them from having much luck there. But, since strangling takes too long, I needed a weapon. Visible, but still deep in the Cornucopia, was the dagger I'd been dreaming of. I ducked into the Cornucopia, inches away from it, before being pushed down hastily. Right as I hit the ground, the figure who had pushed me fell on top of me. I groaned angrily, struggling under his weight. I raised my fist, about to offer a blow so strong he'd fall right off me. However, anticipating it, he'd grabbed my wrist and pinned me down. I struggled for a few minutes before I realized he wasn't killing me, or he would have done it already. "Don't worry, you'll die soon enough," the figure murmured. He wrapped his large hands around my neck, and my eyes widened as I heard the slow crawl of a scorpion, which must've been his animal. My viper slipped off my leg, abandoning me in my time of need. Thanks. My breathing was getting shorter and shallower. I felt panic and adrenaline push me into overdrive, and I lifted my head, whipping my braid around frantically as I searched for help. Geno, Brax and Tate were all circling a pale, skinny boy. He started to back away before he ran right into the side of the Cornucopia. Tate's fierce timber wolf growled, waiting for his master to signal he could pounce. However, Geno's peacock spread its colorful feathers, obscuring the Careers' target from view. It obviously wanted Geno to have the first kill, but Brax's hawk nodded at him and dived for the peacock, scaring it out of the way. Tate grabbed the boy's neck and squeezed tighter than ever. His eyes popped forward, and he started to pant before sinking to the ground with his head almost completely turned to his back. '''BOOM!' "There goes 12," my attacker whispered, snapping me back to reality. Specks of light flittered in my eyes, and everything around me started to slow. It was a wonder I'd survived this long, and it surprised me my assaulter's scorpion hadn't killed me yet. He seemed surprised himself, shooting it a "what are you waiting for?" look. It just stood there, pacing around uselessly, before it perked up. The bug-like creature launched itself at my viper, who was slithering deeper into the Cornucopia. Without a moment of surprise, my viper caught the scorpion in its mouth before injecting it with deadly venom and swallowing it whole. My attacker loosened his grip, remorse painting a new picture on his face. Taking a deep breath, I renewed my struggle before I heard a heart-stopping hiss. I turned my head slightly to the side, heart pounding as much as it could, and looked right into the cold, green eyes of my viper. Its lower half had coiled around something, and I realized it was my dagger. The snake flicked its tongue in understanding, and launched the dagger at me. Uncoiling at a lightning speed, my dagger flew into the air. I made a desperate reach for it, moaning raspily as I shook free. My hand shot up, and I grabbed the hilt. Without pausing for a second, I jammed it into the boy's head. I kicked him to the ground, and stabbed him, over and over. My viper looked moderately impressed before finding its place back on my ankle. BOOM! The cannon only added to the chaos around me, instead of silencing it. I could see four backpacks on the outskirts of the Cornucopia, and they seemed to be the hot item. I watched as a girl from the Capitol and a boy from seven ran up to a backpack. They looked at each other and both reached for it, nearly knocking heads. It would have been hilarious if the wide, evil eyes of my district partner, Manta Li, didn't stop me from laughing. "This," he hissed, "Is for the Careers." I could almost drink in the fear radiating off of the two Anti-Careers in front of me. My viper tightened its grip on my leg, leaning forward to catch a better view. The red-haired girl, who seemed to be the leader, tossed her head indignantly. Her expression changed from semi-confidence to dread as she reacted to some voice I couldn't hear. Taking a stumbling step back, she left her stunned ally to fend for himself for a moment. Manta saw this as an opportunity. He signaled to a giant manta ray behind him, which blocked the little boy from running. "Bye bye!" Manta hissed, cackling before pouncing on the boy. They fell on the ground, rolling around so quickly that I could only make out the green blur of Manta's hair instead of any faces. I could've helped. Could've. Suddenly, the red-haired girl shot out from under the manta, who had stopped guarding his master after he'd thought he was safe. The girl grabbed some type of hammer, and took a visible deep breath before throwing it into the fray. I could see the worry on her face; her throw could've killed her ally, or Manta. BOOM! I looked at the giant manta ray, as if it would give me any indication whether my ally was dead or not. However, the manta ray wasn't a manta ray anymore. It sank to the floor before it slowly turned to a golden dust. The wind peacefully picked up the ashes, dropping a few onto the bleeding body of Manta. I felt an unexpected wrenching in my stomach. No, I hadn't cared for Manta Li, but to see his animal fade like that almost saddened me. I peered down at my viper, searching for any signs of love. All it did was hiss, and any feeling I'd possessed simply blew away like the golden ashes. Caliban Rweed (District Six) I can name one thing the Capitol has never seen in a Hunger Games before, and that's a unicorn. You know what I had as my crazy spirit animal? That's right, ladies and gents, I had a unicorn! I'd climbed atop the creature's white back and imagined how fun it would be riding this thing while high. I was pretty stoned right now, but I could feel everything starting to fade. The second the drugs faded, the anger started. As for now, I was content to sit on my unicorn, watching everyone around me die. I had a plan, of course. I'd grab a weapon or a mixer at the Cornucopia, collect some dead bodies, and boom! Recipe for homemade crack. "What do you think?" I whispered to my unicorn, as if it could hear me. All the thing did was trot around in circles, ignoring the screams and crying surrounding it. Was it funny that I just didn't care? I mean, it was obvious I would win the games, and have so much money I wouldn't know what to do. Scratch that; I knew exactly what I'd do. Buy more drugs! Once my unicorn finally slowed down its spinning, I focused on the group of Careers who seemed to be slowly grouping up. It would be a pretty lame Bloodbath if there were only three deaths, so I figured I would spice things up a little. I urged my unicorn forward, and it silently trotted over to the Cornucopia. Hiding in the shadows was a little girl, who had to have been twelve. I think I'd seen her run into the Cornucopia, and she had been making good time, but the fight between some blonde, a snake, a scorpion and an Anti-Career had sent her into hiding. It would be easy to get this kill, since I seemed to be the only one who noticed her. The Careers seemed semi-distracted, but I noticed one boy with white hair staring at me. He wanted to kill me, but seemed to be waiting for the right moment. I also noticed a blonde girl, sizing up the remaining tributes who lurked around the Cornucopia. Technically, almost every good weapon was gone. The Cornucopia looked more like the aftermath of a giant frat party, trash strewn about everywhere. I hadn't gotten a chance to see what the Anti-Careers got their hands on, supply-wise, but I knew the Careers were pretty loaded. The boy with white hair had a golden sword with a white hilt, which seemed to be the theme of all weapons. Cowboy-wannabe Tate Lockwood had his hands and a timber wolf, but he couldn't stop looking at white boy's sword. District 8 dude seemed to be serving as a stepping stone to the top of the food chain for Tate. He had a sword himself, and it looked like he and Tate were almost sharing it! I imagined the two of them curled up together, nursing the sword like a baby. The thought nearly made me cackle, but my drugs were wearing off faster, so I knew I couldn't blow my cover. A girl named Daneiris was pawing through a small backpack. In it was a pocket knife, a golden (what other color did you expect?) flask, and some type of salve. She was examining the pocket knife, the sharp, dagger-like end of it sticking out. It was clear almost all the Careers had weapons, so I thought it would be safer to lead Little Mrs. Twelve-Year-Old out into the woods. "Unicorn dude, can you like, move that bow she's after?" I whispered, grinning at how doped-up I sounded. My unicorn did some type of nodding, and I gasped in astonishment as the bow flew over the Careers heads and out into the tip of the aquatic biome. The little girl saw the entire thing, and bit her lip. She stole a glance at the Careers and finally made a run for it. "Hey, look at that!" Eugene Watson, from one, screamed. He was pointing right at the little kid. "Its Arissa Stone, District 12 female. She's only 12," the white haired boy spoke up. My eyes could've bulged out of my head. Sure, I was high as a kite, but even with no drugs I wouldn't remember any of that information. The other Careers seemed to disregard his interesting factoid, but Daneiris and the boy from eight eyed him suspiciously. "Time for us to go, Unicorn!" I cackled. The Careers noticed me, too. Geno and Tate both lunged forward, eager for a kill. "You hold the Cornucopia!" Geno commanded, his cocky smile fading to a whinier pout. "I need a kill!" Tate hissed. "Where's your weapon?" Geno taunted, waving his gorgeous machete. "I'll hold the Cornucopia. You go, Tate," Brax (the District 8 guy) finally spoke up. He tossed Tate a sword, which was caught easily in his big hands. With one final competitive glare, Tate and Geno took off towards Arissa and I. Peering over my shoulder, I realized all the other Careers were back at the Cornucopia, except for blondie Daneris. Not thinking anything of it, I forced my unicorn into a gallop. Arissa had finally reached her bow and arrows, but I'd caught up with her. Slipping off my unicorn's back, I closed in on the little girl. "Stay away!" she screeched, unsteadily aiming her bow. "Do you think you'd get me real high if I put you in crack?" I asked coolly. Her fear morphed into disgust and full out terror. "You probably don't have experience with drugs, huh? I'd let you snort it if you weren't, eh, dead, huh?" I laughed suddenly. The girl dropped her bow, ready to run again, but my unicorn had already run behind her, angling its sharp horn at her back. I took a step closer until I heard faint footsteps behind me. I couldn't waste a second, so I pounced, taking the kid down with me. A second later, the footsteps stopped, so I thought I was okay. I wasn't. The blonde girl had reappeared behind my unicorn, and jabbed her pocket knife into what must have been one of its main arteries; golden blood spurted everywhere. My unicorn simply poofed into dust the second after its blood flow stopped. The snow-white particles landed in my hands, and I took a sniff of them tentatively. I got high off of unicorn's ashes. It was the most intense high I'd ever experienced, the bliss sky rocketing every time I took another sniff. In fact, I didn't even realize there was a knife buried into my neck until I felt it push deeper into me when I fell to the ground. I would be dead in a few seconds, that much was clear, but even through my distorted, rainbow vision.... I saw the Daneiris chick. She didn't even make an effort to pull a knife out of my neck, at least, not yet. In fact, it seemed she was letting the little girl escape. "Hey, Dane!" A wobbly figure, Geno, approached Daneiris. I imagined steam coming out of his large ears and giggled softly. "She got away," Daneiris offered simply. Tate eyed her nervously, but Geno's anger seemed to have melted away. "You did quite well on that kill, you know," he cooed. "Almost as well as your parents did when making you. Thank God for unprotected sex, right?" "He isn't dead," Daneiris replied, ignoring every other thing Geno had said. She walked over to me and I imagined her waddling like a penguin. It was hilarious! Finally, Daneiris turned me over, and roughly jerked the knife from my neck. I heard the cannon sound before I could have even died. My only regret was not killing more unicorns when I saw them after LSD. Their ashes made great cocaine substitutes, huh? BOOM! Felicity Caspian (District Eight) If I ignored the cannons, the screaming, and the crying, I could almost pretend I was back in the woods of District 8. I could almost fool myself into thinking that the textile factory I lived in was just a few feet away, and I'd be greeted by my new family. I would've eaten, laughed, and given my baby sister, Fay, her daily math lesson. However, the booming cannons, the desperate screaming, and the pitiful crying was hard to ignore. I wanted, more than anything, to run to the Cornucopia just to get some damn earplugs. But as much as I hated hearing sounds of pain, seeing was even worse. I knew if I even peeked at the massacre going on at the Cornucopia, I'd remember my own massacre. It had taken a year or two to at least semi-forget my mother's killing rampage, and almost two to heal from it. I felt like a paper that had ripped in half. You could tape it back together, but it would still be broken. It would never be the same again. Another thing that kept me from pretending I was safe at my house was that there was a bear following me around. At first, I'd thought the Gamemakers were trying to murder all the tributes at once or something, but no. Apparently, this hulking, furry menace was my ally. Everywhere I went, every tree I ducked behind, it followed. The bear was a black bear with a bright, tan snout that seemed to be smiling. It had expression in its face, and I could see it was getting annoyed. Better to have a happy black bear who follows you around than an annoyed, hungry one, right? I decided to talk to my bear. I was talking to a freaking bear! "Hi. I'm Felicity," I mumbled. The bear opened its mouth, as if to reply, but suddenly jumped up on its hind legs and roared. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming. I knew it, I knew they were trying to trick us! And I ran for my life. I had been at the desert biome, but I was being chased to the forest by this thing. "No, please, please stop," I whispered to the bear, pleadingly. And, like magic, it stopped. I looked around and realized I was deep in the forest, past all the excitement. And my bear suddenly collapsed atop me. I groaned from the impact, but realized he wasn't trying to crush me. And, slowly, I heard nothing. The bear was acting as some kind of sound barrier, for me. A sound barrier, huh? A sound... bear-ier? I snorted at my own joke, knowing that Fay would have giggled right along with me. Finally, I was starting to feel at home. Too bad a tribute had to come along and ruin the fantasy. A girl with bright red hair stumbled into my forest clearing, gripping a small axe. I pushed my bear off of me with superhuman strength I'd only used once... but I didn't want to think about that. I knew I could kill, even if this girl had a weapon. She seemed shocked, but reacted quickly. Her face molded into a mask of bravery, and it hurt me because I'd worn that mask. I knew what it felt like to hide behind it, to think you were fooling everybody... you were really just fooling yourself. I shook myself; I was supposed to be murdering her, not giving a half-assed psychology analysis! However, as we stood, facing each other... her animal (an antelope) pushed her axe out of her hand and sat on the handle delicately. My bear nudged my towards her and gave a soft grunt, urging me to speak. "Give it back, Alice!" the girl whispered. She had dark glasses obscuring her face, but her voice displayed enough emotion to substitute for them. "Alice?" I murmured. She looked up, realizing slowly realizing her antelope wouldn't budge. "My animal. I named her," The girl offered, a bit embarrassed. "Speaking of names, I'm Felicity Caspian. Who are you?" "Dawn Pyres. District 7." "I'm going to name my animal. Is that okay?" I asked suddenly. Mr. Bear didn't seem like such an adequate name anymore. "How about....?" I trailed off, looking towards the sky. There was a giant ledge reaching out of the tundra biome. "Cliffe! I love that name!" The girl froze at my name revelation. She suddenly lunged towards me, her breath suddenly unsteady. "Do you know Cliffe? Are you working with him? Are you trying to kill me!?" she screeched. I wrenched myself away from the tight grip Dawn had on me, and looked her right in the eye. I'd needed a look like that to calm me down after I'd been betrayed by my mother, so I knew exactly how to give it. She calmed down, or at least stopped shaking so violently. "No. I thought it was a good name. I'll call my bear-" I was interuppted again, this time by the sound of two people running. Dawn reacted quicker than I thought, pulling me to the ground. Our animals hid behind giant bushes, and we crouched together behind a tree. I only saw a blurry black ponytail and a giant blue bow. Dawn stiffened; the blue bow girl had a weapon, and was about to kill a girl I thought was Clara Willows. Even filled with adrenaline, she still emitted a depressing, slow aura. "You're a runaway; I need kills," The blue bow girl announced in a matter-of-fact way. She raised her already blood-stained pocket knife. Before she could come any closer, the two clumsy Career males stormed into the formally peaceful forest clearing. Dawn and I hunched closer together, and she gripped my hand nervously. Eugene Watson, self-appointed (unofficial) Career leader, didn't even utter a snappy one liner before stealing Tate Lockwood's sword and impaling Clara Willows. I didn't even know a spider was in her hair until I saw silvery black ashes pour from her limp head. One more tribute down. BOOM! "You see that? I'm a beast!" Eugene grinned, yelling loudly so the entire arena could be jealous of him. "You stole my weapon," Tate growled, his contry accent getting stronger as he got more angry. "Which you got how? From that suck-up, Brax. What a sorry excuse for a Career," Geno taunted, throwing the sword into the dirt in front of Tate. "He just recognizes I should be the leader here!" Tate roared defensively. Blue bow girl whipped her head around and glared at them both. "You can't lead the Careers if the Careers are broken apart, so keep your mouths shut," she hissed lowly. It was obvious Blue-Bonnet was the leader of the Careers, even if she let Geno and Tate entertain the idea. She would be dangerous, working behind the scenes. While I was watching the scene intensly, Dawn pinched me lightly to get my attention. I nearly shrieked, but she covered my mouth. Waiting until the Careers started talking again, she she finally suggested we get the hell out. I nodded, and as soon as my head stopped shaking, my giant bear emerged from behind a bush. In one giant swipe, he klonked Geno and Tate in the head. Blue-Bonnet was quicker, and dodged his first strike, but Alice the antelope leaped towards her. Distracted momentarily, my bear finally knocked the three Careers out. "Alliance?" Dawn asked. "We make a perfect team," I grinned. And, with the first truly happy feelings I'd had in these death Games, I climbed onto the back of my unnamed bear while Dawn did the same to her antelope. We galloped deeper into the forest, side by side. Heaven Burke (District Thirteen) I wonder what it would be like to look into my own eyes. Not from a mirror, not from a picture, but actually look into as if I was another person. The thing is, I used to be so sure I would see hope, or at least happiness in them. But I know now I couldn't look in my eyes and see anything but the eyes of a girl who doesn't know who she is; a science experiment or a person. The second the thought I was anything less than a person left my head, the familiar self-war ensued. Isn't it horrible how someone could compliment you five thousand times and insult you once, but the insult is what you remember? That's how strong the dark part of my thoughts were. And the only way to do escape them, at least for now, was to stare into the giant golden eyes of Cauter Dumont, my ally and District partner. We'd barely escaped from the Cornucopia without harm. Trina Maesin and her ally had been semi-terrorizing the Cornucopia once the Careers had dispersed into the woods. The pair seemed more like flies, annoying, but mostly harmless. The Careers would easily chase them out once they got back. Cauter and I wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing that, however. Most tributes had scurried off to some type of biome, and Cauter and I were making our way to the forest. The day was almost over, and we had hidden deep in the tundra until way past the afternoon. It was one of the only places not cramped with tributes. "I once heard a joke about amnesia, but I forgot how it went," Cauter whispered, almost like a victory pun since we'd finally reached the forest. He'd managed to grab one backpack from the very outskirts of the Cornucopia. We'd planned beforehand I'd be the one to run straight to the tundra. Luckily, the backpack had a blanket, some gauze, and a canister full of lukewarm soup. What is the first thing you think when you're curled up under a blanket with the most annoyingly polite doctor wannabee? I felt more human. I felt so at peace sipping the rapidly cooling soup that I almost forgot my company was an albino peacock, a squirrel, and a few freezing corpses. That's right; my animal was an albino peacock. It had large red eyes, as if stuck in a state of eternal pink-eye. And every time I felt like I was trapped in the "baby-size-cannister" I'd been told was my home (instead of the womb), I looked at the peacock and felt better. "I don’t find health-related puns funny anymore since I started suffering from an irony deficiency," I whispered back to Cauter. He looked extremely taken aback. "What?" I whispered, my eyes wide. I looked in the direction of the forest, slowly realizing that it was packed full of moving tributes. My sense of purpose and peacefulness evaporated, and I instinctively turned to my peacock. I grabbed its feathery head, forcing it to look me right in the eye. It was like some type of tranquilizer; it was so effective, I predicted the Capitol had something to do with it. However, even the strong, calming gaze of my own peacock couldn't shake the image of Cauter's face, completely frozen in surprise. I fully expected him to fall down with a knife in his neck. It was much better than that. "Never," Cauter whispered somberly, "Has anyone ever told a medical pun except for me." "The Games can certainly change a person," I grinned. "Yeah. Sometimes it leaves them dead." Cauter and I whipped our heads around so quickly the backpack we'd gotten nearly fell off our shoulders. Cliffe Holden and his ally were staring at as. They were glaring at us with so much ferocity it could've wilted all the trees in the forest that used to be important to Cauter and I. I'm glad looks couldn't kill, but axes could, and Cliffe was armed. "Cauter," I whispered, "do we have any weapons?" Cauter didn't say anything, but his eyes spoke for him. I didn't know what to do. I hadn't at all prepared to run into anybody this early in the games. Cauter and I had decided to hide away in the forest, not expecting to fight anyone till the end, if we made it there. Considering the circumstances, it didn't look like we would. Cliffe and his partner exchanged a single glance, and jumped into action as if they were programed robots. Cauter turned to Cliffe and I turned to his ally, a blonde with brave hazel eyes. Cauter peered at Cliffe anxiously, sizing him up. Cliffe had a weapon, which he seemed to wield well. However, Corin (the ally) had nothing but a brave face that could've been feigned for all I knew. If Cliffe was just out of the way... I tried to focus on Corin, but it was hard to tear my eyes from Cauter. He may be skilled in the medical industry, but Cliffe was ruthless. Its almost as if he could kill his best friend and not bat an eye. Cliffe's walking pattern started changing rapidly, and I realized there was an energetic frog in front of him, bouncing around to add to the confusion. I forced myself to look at Corin, who was steadily approaching. A few feet in front of me, she stopped. I stood there, waiting for her to make a move as I prepared myself for a fight. However, I hadn't prepared myself to be knocked flat on my face by a screeching harpy. As soon as the sound of my own groan of pain reached my ears, I heard a distinctly male grunt of pain. I turned sharply, expecting to see Cauter with an axe in his gut. It was better than that at least; the axe was in his arm. He kept his moans at a surprisingly low volume, considering blood was spurting out of him. Cliffe paused, looking at Cauter's eyes. He seemed almost remorseful, as if remembering something. But it only lasted a second before he went in for the kill, pulling his axe from Cauter, who screamed a horrifying, guttural scream. "Dawn," Cliffe breathed, almost to himself. He looked so troubled, and yet, I had no idea why I cared. I shook myself out of it, and tried to get up, only to have Corin's harpy dig its talons deeper into my back. "I've heard better one liners before being killed," Cauter smiled, "humerus" till the end. Cliffe smiled ruefully... And then he got knocked the fuck out! In a last ditch effort not to die, Cauter slid our backpack off his injured arm and whacked our adversary right in the head. He dropped like a rock. I fully expected Corin to flee (Cauter looked like an axe murderer with all the blood), but she stood next to Cliffe, loyally guarding his axe. "Suit yourself," Cauter murmured, before whacking her in the head. Corin fell limply, body streaked with blood from the axe she fell on top of. Before it could pierce her soft skin, Corin's harpy pulled her away in its giant talons, along with the axe. "I felt... super exhausted... after giving blood," Cauter panted. The weight of his injuries seemed to have finally dawned on him. "It's such a draining procedure," I whispered, watching my ally fall into unconsciousness in a pile of his own gathering blood. The Sky Trina Maesin (District One) Night has descended on the Arena, spreading like blood from the open chest of a victim. It's a gruesome comparison, but I feel it fits the Hunger Games. "Phoebe, am I too gruesome?" I whisper. My voice is that of your typical sleepover-goer; excited, and happy, a rip-off of a whisper. "You're perfect just the way you are," Phoebe mumbles sleepily. She rolls deeper into the warm mud of the semi-aquatic biome we picked to stay in. "Are you seriously going to sleep? We're about to see who died today!" I crawled over to my ally and best friend, mud spreading all over my tan thighs. "Scratch what I said before... maybe you are gruesome," Phoebe teased. However, she crawled up next to me, her face dewy and damp from the intense humidity in the biome. I looked at Phoebe, her white hair spread around her face like a halo. The pink in it was fading, probably from chlorine, since we swam all the time. I squinted in the dark and realized Phoebe was wearing her pink swim mask. "How the hell did you get that?" "I dunno, my animal brought it with her," Phoebe jerked her head in the direction of our two animals, a rainbow fish and a dolphin. Starting out teasingly, I tackled Phoebe. She started to giggle quietly, swatting at me with her pale hands. I pinned them down, and bent down. I could hear her breathing, punctuated with the occasional dying giggle. Seeing as I had no hands.... I used my mouth to slowly peel Phoebe's mask off her face. We stood there, nothing but romantic tension. And whenever I felt romantic tension, I did the only thing I knew how to do; kiss. Phoebe and I sank into the mud, our lips still tightly clamped together. She was shy and nervous, her lips only moving just a little, but I was doing the real work. My first girl kiss. Her lips were soft. The sweet moment was forever burned into my memory, ending with dead people dancing across skies. TorinL.png|Torin Fowlere, District Twelve Banana.png|Ray Xeres, District Eleven MantaLi.png|Manta Li, District Four Caliban lunaii.png|Caliban Rweed, District Six Clara lunaii.png|Clara Willows, District Nine Day Two Aleksandr Estrene (Captiol) I can understand everything but people. Sure, some people are decodable, but as I sat around the Cornucopia and stared at my mindless allies, I realized I didn't know anything about them. Well, I knew one thing. The Careers were pretty weak this year. Honestly, this Bloodbath had been completely anti-climactic. There'd been, what, three deaths? I thought I'd designed something better than that. "All right, they're back!" Brax Beales, the District Eight boy, announced. My other allies had been out tribute hunting, and I was surprised to see they hadn't already just killed each other. The country buffoon Tate Lockewood and the womanizing Geno Watson were tirelessly fighting to be the leader of the Careers, and it was getting quite boring. "Did you kill anyone?" Genevieve asked. Out of all the Careers, Genevieve and a girl named Daneiris seemed to actually be threats. "We did," Daneiris answered, her cold glare settling on Tate and Eugene, who were bickering behind her. "I think you mean I did," Geno puffed out his chest. He sauntered over to Daneiris, moving with the grace of a drunk. He lazily swung his arm around her shoulder and flashed a grin. "Daney over here loves taking credit for everything. But, she's hot, so I'll let it slide," Geno whispered, leaning into Daneiris' ear. She looked at me, eyes blank. I broke her gaze, and instead turned to the giant sea monster that was my animal. Stubley jutting my head, I watched my leviathan rush in front of Geno, kicking him back with its tail. "Daney" flashed me a smile, but it faded as soon as Geno lumbered up from the ground. Before he could make an effort to regain his cool, Daneiris ran over to me, my leviathan's hulking body hiding us from Geno. "When do we start to pit them against each other?" Daney asked me. "We?" "You and I both know we're the only ones actually running these Games. Geno and Tate are jokes, and it would be perfect if they killed each other sometime soon," Daneiris explained. She got a little excited, as if she'd been planning this the whole time. I almost laughed. Some girls got happy when they got new shoes, but Daneiris got happy if her killing plans worked. "I think we can wait a little longer, but I'm not sure why you're including me in your plan. You seem perfectly capable of taking them both out," I tried to reason. As much as Daney amused me, I couldn't get involved. "Because you know something. I've seen your eyes, and the ways they flash when you think of something important. I see your mind; I see it planning, waiting, watching, and working. I think you can help me," Daneiris stared into my eyes, and though I was usually the one calling the shots, her eyes were almost mesmerizing. I shook myself out of it, trying not to be enticed by her determination and intelligence. "Help you win? I want to win, too. I've got a family to go back to," I raised an eyebrow, blowing a strand of white hair from my eyes. "Funny. You don't strike me as a family guy," Daneiris paused, leaning in close to my ear. "You seem more like... a Game Maker," she whispered, her breath tickling my ear. I shivered, taking a step back, starting to feel trapped by the walls of my leviathan. "Where would you get that idea?" I hissed, worry being replaced with anger. This girl was pushing it. "When the animals were released from their cages on day one, everyone had some degree of shock. I can read people well enough to know that even the most guarded of tributes were awed to have a... pet. You didn't look surprised, more like proud. You knew exactly where your sword was, even though none of the tributes had seen the Cornucopia before. Little things like that don't add up." My mouth hung open, shocked and a little fearful. I knew my expression was a dead giveaway that Daneiris was perfectly right. Drawing my sword from its sheath, I wanted to end her, right then and their. "Ah, no you don't," Daneiris shook her head, speaking quietly to herself. As if on command, my leviathan gave a screeching roar and flew upwards, his heavy body no longer wrapped in a circle around Daney and I. Looking up, I realized two things. One was that Daney had a fucking mermaid as her animal, and that it had bitten my monster right on the eye. Two was that Genevieve Azarling had been standing right outside my leviathan, and by the look on her face, I could tell she heard everything. Florence Marioneta (District Three) Feelings; you hear so many people wish to feel something. They want to feel happiness, elation, excitement, love. But you can't have all that without despair, hopelessness, darkness, and pain. I had two settings; killing or not killing. That was enough for me. I think emotion is something I can live without. I hadn't killed anyone. I didn't have any other feelings but this longing to kill someone. Not because of where I was, or whatever hell I was in, but just because that's all I knew. So, I started to walk. I had a basic sense of my surroundings; I was in some type of desert. An odd-looking bird with a fresh, bald head was following me. I didn't really care for the creature; he seemed quite annoying, but would always flap out of my reach when I tried to catch him by the neck. I felt like a thousand weights were tied to my feet as I moved along, slowly, unblinking. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, until there was a sudden burst of sound. I didn't feel pain, but I felt the impact of my body being shoved in the dirt. Instinctively, my hands flew to my collarbone, vainly trying to protect it. "You're my District Partner. You've made the headlines as a voodoo creature, a killer. Work for the Anti-Careers, kill tributes for us, and you live. If you refuse, you die, as much as a lifeless doll-thing can die." I vaguely recognized the black-haired boy as my District Partner, but the information didn't seem remotely applicable. He would die; it was a fact that could not be changed. I repeated those words in my head, instilling a sense of finality. "You can't kill me," I murmured. I knew this was a lie, and a foggy memory of my old owner, Rupin, appeared in my head. Heart stops, you stop. "I'm sure I can figure out a way. I'm a genius, you know, I figure things out," The boy said. "What's your name?" I asked. It would somehow be more satisfying if I knew the name of my would-be victim. "Doesn't matter. I know your name, Florence Marioneta. Created by Professor Rupin, probably a token of remembrance towards his daughter, Florence. He's dead. Do you feel sad?" The boy fired off information rapidly, pausing only long enough for me to semi-absorb it. Did I? I didn't feel sad, only slightly disturbed. This was the closest thing to an emotion that I had, and it wasn't strong enough to be impactful. "Who do I kill?" I asked. The boy would still die at my hands, but if I could use him to kill other tributes, he wouldn't die now. "Follow me. Kill anyone and I'll... pull your stitches out," he threatened, looking at my collar. TBC Perry Blitz (District Five) Taligelia Rendervault (District Eleven) Arissa Stone (District Twelve) Category:Hunger Games Category:Toast with the Most